Naruto's Lessons
by Linnaeus
Summary: Naruto learns life lessons from an early age. The lessons take him in a different direction and makes him a different kind of ninja. A story about growing up. AU


**Lesson 1. Bite Your Tongue**

Naruto was three when he first discovered chakra, and when he came to the startling realization that he was treated _different_. He hadn't know what chakra even was at the time. He had seen other kids though, older than him of course, proudly showing their parents their chakra colors, hands up and palms spread, a halo of faint color surrounding each palm. They were praised, cooed at.

Naruto wanted that attention.

He would practice and practice, sitting in the small woods that surrounded the orphanage. It didn't take long for him to find that energy. When he opened his eyes one morning, three weeks after witnessing the bigger kids do it, he saw his own palms glowing bright- brighter than the other kids. His chakra was bright blue.

He ran to the orphanage. Palms out to the matron

She screamed and beat him. She shuffled the other kids inside and locked him out in the chilly winter cold. Naruto ran back into his woods, angry. When he had his palms out again, the chakra was an angry orange red. Within seconds, men in ferocious animal masks descended on his hiding place, dragging him kicking and screaming to the Hokage tower. He wasn't scared of the animal masks. No. They had dotted his entire life. It was that orange energy he had emitted. It hurts. His palms still stung something awful when he was brought into the Hokage's office atop his grand tower.

The Old Man sat there, looking ancient as he packed loose tobacco into his smoking pipe.

"Didn't do not'in wrong," Naruto bit out rebelliously. It wasn't the first time he was in the Old Man's tower. His first time was his second birthday. He remembered that much. Dog first brought him here, when he had been thrown out of the orphanage and chased clear across the village. The Old Man sighed, breathing out wisps of tobacco smoke. Naruto scrunched his face up at the smell.

"Then what did you do at the forest, hmm?"

"Not'in," Naruto replied petulantly, "Ain't done not'in"

"Naruto, it's 'I haven't done anything'," The Hokage rubbed his wizened face, frown deepening the wrinkles, "Where have you been learning this talk? Surely not at the orphanage."

"On tha' streets!" Naruto chimed, courage more than wisdom, "Imma monsta an' my mum's a who' an' ma da' a not good drunkan' ah belon'in on tha' streets." He repeated what he had been told by matron. And while he hated being told that, he repeated her when it suited him. There was a strangled sound behind Naruto. It was Dog, who was on guard duty. Dog covered his own lack of composure even as the Old Man buried his face deeper into his hands.

"Naruto...do you know why you are in my office today?" the Old Man tried to regain control of the conversation.

"'Cuz of this," Naruot raised his hands up. There was a stir, and three masked men materialized in the office. Naruto scrunched his face up. His hairs stood up on the back of his neck. He was startled by their appearance, but he almost felt them right before they appeared. Huh. Weird. But Cool!

The Old Man made a subtle gesture, the men disappeared, but Naruto knew they weren't gone. Just hidden. How cool is that?

"Go on, Naruto."

Naruto closed his eyes, and pictured that light. He could feel it flowing, warm under his skin, just itching to be used. It flowed out of his fingertips, like what those other kids did. His burnt skin was soothed. Naruto could hear a sharp inhale and he opened his eyes. His fingers were glowing blue again, not that angry angry orange.

The Old Man huffed.

"Now Naruto, I hear you can make it orange." Naruto nodded contritely. The Old Man always knew things. Like he had a crystal ball or something. That make Naruto frown. He wanted to steal it and asked the crystal ball lots of questions, like why he was abandoned and why people hate him and why he didn't get praised for doing what other kids do and doing them better and-

"What did you do to produce the orange light, Naruto," the Old Man asked, like he was talking to a small child. Naruto shrugged and didn't say anything. Naruto was a big boy now. He wasn't going to stand being treated like a baby. If the old man was gonna treat like one, he gets not'in. You don't give not'in if you don't get not'in.

"Naruto," the Old Man repeated. More sharply this time. Naruto knows its what adults do when they are getting impatient. Usually, its followed by rocks and a beating. If they could catch him.

"''Ngry," Naruto grumbled. The hokage sighed.

"What else."

"I got not'in old man," Naruto snapped back, "Not tha' angry 'nymore."

"And what made you angry, Naruto?" Naruto shrugged again. The Old Man knocked his pipe against the edge of his desk, emptying the spent tobacco into a basket placed there for just this purpose. Then, he shared a look over Naruto's head with Dog. Naruto _hated_ when adults did this. Like they know better than he did. Knew what he didn't. Of course adults did. They didn't have to rub it in his face so much though.

"I'm afraid you will have to be sent back to the orphanage," the Old Man began. Naruto started and glared back at the wrinkled face beneath the wide brim hat.

"They hate me," Naruto blurted, "Only gonna get kicked out again."

"Naruto, please understand...we have no one else who can take you right now. The orphanage will have to do. At least it gives you a chance to be with children your own age. Don't you like that?"

Naruto looked down on the familiar floor of the Hokage's office, shuffling his feet and kicking at the cracks in the wood with his ill fitting sandals. Dog silently placed his hand on Naruto's small shoulder and silently escorted him out.

"Naruto," the Old Man halted them at the door, "Please don't use that anymore. At least not until you get into school." Naruto ignored him and allowed himself to be guided out by the hand on his shoulder.

But Naruto learned his first lesson.

If you know something keep it hidden. Nothing good comes out of people knowing about his power. But if the Old Man thought he was gonna give this up, he must be dreaming. It's all about being quieter about it.

Naruto grinned his mischievous grin. The one adults feared because it meant a stink bomb or paint can somewhere in the vicinity. It was still on his face when Dog knocked on the orphanage door. The door opened, shining warm yellow light onto Naruto's face. He stared up at the apprehensive face of Matron.

"Hi Matron, I'm back!"

* * *

I started writing this because I would like to try my hand at a version of Naruto that is more in tune with what I expected of the Ninja world- subterfuge and sabotage rather than the open battles that has taken place in canon. This is a series of one shots that I will write at my leisure, so expect slow updates (no joke).

Also, if you are expecting a lot of action, especially of the jutsu variety, you will not find it here.

Thanks for reading.


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